REVS replaced by national register

The Personal Property Securities (PPS) Register replaced a number of asset registers across Australia, including the Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS).

The PPS Register can tell you whether or not a vehicle has a secured interest. A secured interest means that there could be money owing on the car or that the registered owner may not own the vehicle outright. If you buy a vehicle with a secured interest, action could be taken to repossess it, even though the debt is not yours. Completing a PPS Register check means you can confirm this important aspect before you make a purchase.

You can conduct a PPS Register enquiry online on their website or by calling 1300 007 777.

A retrospective certificate is a document issued under Section 8 (5) of the Registration of Interests in Goods Act 1986 which shows the register for a particular motor vehicle for a nominated period of time before the date the retrospective certificate is issued.

NSW Fair Trading will provide retrospective certificates/transactions reports for seven years from the commencement of PPS on 30 January 2012. However, requests can only be made in relation to information/transactions that took place within seven years of PPS commencement - that is between 2005 to 30 January 2012.

Who requests retrospective certificates?

Financiers involved in the motor trade and their legal representatives are the main applicants for retrospective certificates.

What information will a retrospective certificate provide?

A retrospective certificate will show the status of the register over a nominated period and all transactions during that period.

How do I apply for a retrospective certificate?

A request for a retrospective certificate must be in writing.

An Application for ‘retrospective certificate of evidence’ form can be downloaded from the Forms webpage.

An Application for ‘retrospective certificate of evidence’ cannot be lodged by post, however, can be lodged in person at any Service NSW Centre.

Note: The system has been taken offline to allow for essential maintenance. As a result, there will be delays in processing applications for retrospective certificates.